Greenpeace Catch-up – as ever researching, investigating, involving people, and ecosystems around the world reporting on key environmental issues affecting us all. By Sally Campbell.
First published in VOICEforARRAN
The Oceans.
It is a year after the historic Global Ocean Treaty in 2023, now ratification is the key to its success, which turns the treaty into domestic law in the different countries. Signing the treaty last year showed “an intent to ratify”. Ratification requires domestic legislation in each signatory nation to ratify the treaty and formally deposit their ratification at the UN. The first debate in the UK, in Westminster Hall, took place on 25 April 2024 with clear and passionate signals from across the political parties for the need to ratify the UN Treaty by the UK Parliament before any general election. The issue returns to the House for a second reading on 17 May. We all need to put pressure on MPs to hasten the ratification.
The High Seas are home to millions of species and ecosystems and less than 1% are fully protected. They are under increasing threats including industrial fishing, pollution and Deep Sea Mining (DSM). To protect 30% of the Oceans by 2030, we must protect >11million square kilometres of Ocean every year for the next five years. A study in January 2024 in Nature and led by Global Fishing Watch revealed that 75% of world’s industrial fishing vessel locations and activities are hidden from public view. The scale of unregulated fishing in a disputed region close to the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory, has reached an overwhelming level. It is an example that has created a free for all, and monitoring by the government of the Falkland Islands at the end of January 2024 showed more than 400 vessels were fishing in the “Blue Hole”, a stretch of the South Atlantic, one of the only areas not covered by a regional fishing agreement, threatening fish stocks and the rich biodiversity. At the end of November 2023, only 80 vessels were observed. Many were Chinese, and many turn off their trackers when entering the area. Fishing vessels must be licensed by their home country and follow rules set by their governments. However, across most of the world, additional protections are offered by regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs). The Blue Hole sits in the middle of the dispute between Argentina and the UK over the sovereignty of the Falklands. This dispute has made diplomatic relations difficult and illustrates the problems of unregulated fisheries in disputed marine areas. The sale of fishing licences accounts for two thirds of the Falklands Islands’ economy. The High Seas are often disputed as illustrated here, so much work must be achieved to cement a Global Ocean Treaty ratification of at least 60 nations by 2025.
Deep Sea Mining (DSM).
By the opening of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) summit in March, the CEO of Canada’s Metal Company had tried to block Greenpeace’s presence as an observer. Industry tried to silence Greenpeace’s protest against DSM. This failed and 25 governments were calling for a moratorium on DSM, showing the importance of global campaigns with credible evidence and research of potential damage to marine ecosystems. Importantly no measures were passed to limit protests at sea or Greenpeace’s participation at ISA. A UN working group released this statement “if deep sea mining becomes an industry, there will be irreversible human rights impacts”. However, the Metal Company confirmed plans to apply to mine the oceans this year, so we all need to be vigilant.
Greenpeace ships assisting and highlighting research and ocean protection.
This spring Greenpeace global ships’ tours began. The aim to build a bigger scientific base for ocean protection. The two vessels Arctic Sunrise and Rainbow Warrior are planning and assisting research to provide vital data on the health and protection of vulnerable and important ecosystems.
Arctic Sunrise is on a six week expedition to showcase one of the best examples of strong marine protection inside the Galapagos Marine Reserve and contrast this to the lack of protection just outside it. Greenpeace are assisting local scientists in a survey of marine habitats and tracking migratory species using BRUVS ( Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems) as well as gather research through eDNA testing. Hopefully this research will work towards making a case for a vast new ocean sanctuary in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean. The presence of Arctic Sunrise assisting expert researchers from Ecuadorean conservation NGO The Jocotoco Foundation, Charles Darwin Foundation and University of San Francisco shows the power of collaboration in providing evidence for ocean protection.
Rainbow Warrior visited Colombo with a week long stay of climate justice-themed events. Next stop was The Saya de Malta Bank in the Indian Ocean, the world’s largest seagrass meadow, home to rich diversity and a vital carbon store, working with marine biologist Asha de Vos documenting cetaceans in the area. The survey of great importance covered a total of 2,431km over 10 days in waters east of Sri Lanka. The science team coupled daytime visual surveys with 24/7 acoustic surveys and at least four species of dolphins were visually identified and one morning the crew were surrounded by a pod of at least 50 pilot whales, whilst a dozen bottlenose dolphins surfed the bowl. The big threat here to the seagrass meadows are bottom trawlers from Thailand and again research is highlighting the need for protection. How I wish I was on the boat helping out !
Plastics, Global Treaty and Closer to home a Plastics Survey by Greenpeace.
As the UN talks began last week in Canada to agree the first global treaty to reduce soaring quantities of plastic waste, the chair admitted it would be a challenge. We need a strong global plastics treaty that cuts plastic production by at least 40% by 2040.
Six multinational companies are responsible for almost 24% of branded plastic waste: Coca-Cola, Danone, Nestle, PepsiCo and tobacco firms Altria and Phillip Morris. As more virgin plastic is used every year this UN meeting to discuss the first ever plastic treaty, the largest contingent with over 200 present was from fossil fuel and petrochemical industries. Their focus was recycling, whilst NGOs and activists are calling for limits on plastic production or restrictions on the most problematic plastics and chemicals. Recycling does little to limit the emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide and methane from plastics production.
To give you an idea of the spread of one of these multinationals, Danone’s portfolio of businesses includes brands present worldwide (Activa, Actimel, Alpro, Danette, Danonino, Danio, Evian, Volvic, Aptimel, Nutricia) with local regional businesses including Cow & Gate. Recently Danone’s enormous plastic footprint offsetting project in Indonesia has been suspended by Verra, the world’s biggest issuer of “carbon credits”. Plastic offsetting is modelled on “carbon offsetting” and without proper surveillance, certification is problematic; the building for recycling is too close to a community which has now health problems they did not have before. One might conclude ‘out of sight, out of mind ‘like so many certification models now available for a fee.
Even as this meeting was taking place, London based Unilever announced it is to scale back its environmental and social aims, provoking critics. Unilever with its consumer goods, and companies behind multiple brands including Dove beauty products and Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream was seen as the foremost proponent of corporate ethics. The current CEO of Unilever has signalled a u-turn for the company’s ethical pledges on a range of issues including plastic usage. The previous CEO promised to halve the use of virgin plastics by 2025. Instead the aim now for a reduction of a third by 2026, equating sadly to about 100,000 tonnes more fresh plastic every year. Nina Shrank, Head of Plastics at Greenpeace UK, said “Unilever should hang its head in shame. 1.7 billion pieces of plastic per week See: www.theguardian.com Unilever to scale back environmental and social pledges. 19 April 2024.
The Greenpeace Big Plastic Count UK 2024.
It is a month since people from households, businesses and community groups all over the UK came together to take part in the biggest investigation into household plastic. With 225,000 participants counting 1.7 Billion pieces, yes a BILLION pieces of plastic in that week. Do you remember that as part of the UK Plastics Pact supermarkets promised to make all their plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025? These results show they, and we, are nowhere near that goal. UK households are throwing away an estimated 1.7Billion pieces of plastic a week, that is 90 Billion pieces a year. Very little gets recycled, over half is being incinerated.
So we need a Strong Global Plastic Treaty that cuts plastic production by at least 40% by 2040. On Arran, what is happening? Our businesses, our households, are we as a community demanding change? The UK tops the charts for plastic waste per person globally, second only to the US. Not a result to be proud of.
Don’t get me wrong! In so many ways plastics contribute to a resource and environmental sustainability. What is challenged is the vast single use of containers and plastic packaging, a complete lack of understanding of the threat of microplastics and other degradation products and more uniform applications of classes of plastic chemical polymers that can contribute to more efficient recycling, reuse and disposal methods such as pyrolysis rather than incineration.
